not for wussies

Far Beyond Driven (eastWest Records)

Pantera

By Mark Clark

If you're the kind of rocker who thinks Metallica has gone soft and Anthrax is for wimps, then Pantera is your band.

The group's latest effort, Far Beyond Driven, is chock full of the kind of hard, heavy, brutal, punishing metal you love. And there aren't any of those annoying melodies to get in the way of the band's power chords.

Just crank up this puppy and hope your woofers (and eardrums) can take it.

Of course, some listeners — those who prefer songs with lighter elements like harmonies or intelligible vocals — won't really warm up to this album. But who cares about those wussies anyway?